Weiss knew something was wrong when Adam asked to look over their map. Normally, he liked to check their position and plan their route right after dinner. It was a simple process that took only a few minutes before he gave the map back.
Tonight, the paper remained clutched in his hands. His grip on it was so tight it spread wrinkles across it.
Weiss' attention kept bouncing between him and the campfire burning in front of her. Whenever she worked up the courage to confront him about what was wrong, the words shrivelled on her tongue and she'd stare at their firepit instead.
She jumped when Adam cursed. He didn't notice her reaction as he raked a hand through his hair, leaving parts of it dishevelled.
Her eyes lingered on his messy locks curiously. Adam's incessant need to keep up a clean appearance made it rare for her to catch him in a disorganised state. For a moment, seeing him like this gave her the illusion that the walls he put between them were down.
"We have a bit of a problem tomorrow," he said suddenly.
Warmth flooded her cheek when he moved closer to her. His shoulder brushed hers as he positioned the map between them. She couldn't help but remember the night they slept together in the old barn. The memory of his back pressed against hers was still clear as day.
"The fastest route we can take is through Azaleas," he explained, pointing to a large settlement drawn on the map. "It's a busy town with a large White Fang population."
"We can go around instead," she said, forcing that particular night to the back of her mind. It was just a harmless one-off event. Weiss couldn't fathom why she was still so caught up with it.
"It's not something we can do without making your journey longer," Adam retorted. "Azaleas isn't tiny like the Rumduol. It's more urbanized than the places we've been to so far."
Weiss nodded, understanding what was causing him so much distress. Frangipani wasn't even that big, but the White Fang still made their lives difficult the night of their escape. She couldn't imagine how much more challenging it'd be to escape a massive, urbanized space.
"There's another issue we might run into." He ran another hand through his hair. "Sienna likes to stay in Azaleas when she's not out on missions."
His ominous warning hung in the dead air between them. For a moment, Weiss didn't know how to take the information. All she could think about was the brutal murder of Lavender's family.
Authorities have never been able to get a clear photograph or sketch of Sienna. Even when Father used his power to pressure them, the most they knew were the type of masks she used to hide her face. Weiss had even heard rumours that her arms and legs were heavily scarred from the victims who tried to fight back.
If there was anyone that could identify her in a crowd, it'd be the monster who orchestrated the slaughter of her relatives. And there was nothing Weiss could do to identify her.
Then again, did Sienna even remember what Lavender looked like? Or was she another faceless target?
"There's a chance she's not there," Adam added, snapping her out of her thoughts. "She might be busy tracking you down. I don't think she'd expect you to walk into her turf."
"But we can't know that for sure…right?"
Adam stared holes into the map instead of answering her. She curled her arms around herself, but it did little to ward off the chill crawling down her spine.
"So what? Do we power through and hope for the best?" Weiss asked quietly.
"That's asking to be killed, Schnee. Luckily, Azaleas is a hot spot for merchants. We might be able to buy something from a passing merchant before heading in."
"And if we aren't lucky?"
"I'll go into town and see what I can get."
"You want to go alone?" Her heart dropped at the mere mention of his plan.
"Obviously. It'd defeat the whole point of a disguise if you walk in looking like yourself."
"But what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Didn't you say Sienna probably knows about…this? Isn't it even more dangerous for you to go alone?"
"I know my way around enough to not get caught." He rolled the map back up and returned it to her.
Even if he was familiar with the town, it didn't make it any safer for him to go alone. What if something happened to him while they were apart? She didn't think the White Fang would be cruel enough to attack one of their own, but he was likely considered a traitor after helping her escape.
What will Sienna do if she caught him?
"I still think it's too risky. I can't help you if something goes wrong," she insisted.
"I can take care of myself." He moved back to the spot he was sitting. Without him beside her, the night felt so much colder.
"I'm not saying you need my help. I just think we should stick together."
"Keeping you around undisguised is more dangerous than going alone. Unless you want to delay your arrival to Mistral City, we don't have a choice."
Weiss glared at the fire. It would make their lives so much easier if she hadn't broken her Scroll from the crash.
"You should sleep, Schnee. We have a busy day tomorrow," he said, leaning back on his hands to watch the stars.
Despite looking up at the night sky, the tension in his shoulders never left. Considering their success tomorrow relied solely on him, she couldn't blame him for feeling nervous.
"Do they sell Scrolls there?" She changed the subject in an attempt to distract him. "My old one got destroyed, and I want to get in touch with my friend Ruby."
It would also keep them from taking future risks like this. As long as she knew where Ruby was, they could take all the time in the world to travel.
"Yeah, but they only sell second-handed."
"That's fine. It's better than nothing."
"I think it's a waste of time to go looking for a new Scroll. It's not the end of the world if you don't have one. There are other ways to stay in contact with someone."
"Like stalking them in the forest?"
"It's not stalking. It's surveillance." His completely serious answer only made her laugh.
"That just sounds like a fancy term for stalking."
"You'd be dead if I hadn't kept a close eye on you, Schnee. Consider it a blessing in disguise."
"So you do admit it was stalking!" She beamed.
That earned her an amused smile from him. The tightness in his muscles loosened but still kept a firm hold of him. She considered that a small victory on her part.
"Do you visit Azaleas often?" she asked.
Adam didn't respond, choosing instead to study the night sky as if she hadn't even spoken. It wasn't like she expected him to continue entertaining her small talk. By now, she was used to him ignoring her attempts to get closer. Still, she could never shake off the disappointment that always came with it.
Weiss shrugged and prepared for bed instead. As she was about to rest her head on her backpack, he answered in a near whisper.
"I grew up there."
She froze, turning her attention back on him. He hadn't moved a muscle, continuing to stare at the stars.
Her curiosity burned with a list of questions. What was his home like? Did he go out often with friends? What was his favourite store? She didn't dare voice any of it out loud.
Weiss held her breath and waited for him to elaborate. This would be the second time he opened up about himself. She didn't want to scare him off by pushing too quickly.
"It's not home base, but lots of our mentors live there. I used to help my teachers and Sienna with odd jobs in town," he added after a long pause.
Somewhere nearby, a cicada chirped into the night.
"What do you like about it?" she asked when he went silent.
Adam laughed curtly. "What's there to like? Between the bandits and shit on the street, I'd rather spend my time training in the forest."
"You never did anything fun while you were there?"
"If you count watching your back for someone to jump you, then yes. I had tons of fun."
His description left her chest aching. The image of a younger, more vulnerable Adam navigating through crowds of hardened criminals didn't sit right with her. She couldn't believe Sienna plucked him out of the safety of Rumduol to such a tumultuous environment.
Where was his family in all this? They couldn't have been happy to see him living in such a state, right?
"Not all of us grew up in paradise, Schnee," Adam said when he noticed the frown on her face. "I didn't have time to fuck around in some overpriced store with rich friends."
"That's one thing we have in common," she blurted. Embarrassment burned her cheeks when his attention turned to her.
Weiss didn't need to hear his response to know she'd completely messed up their fragile conversation.
Who was she to say they had a shared experience when she grew up in Atlas – where the streets were white as snow and Atlas soldiers kept them safe? That's not to mention the added hardships Adam must've faced for simply being a Faunus.
"I'm not trying to say I grew up in the same environment as you," she added at once. "I just meant…I also didn't get to indulge with…friends."
Weiss looked down at her lap, the fire in her cheeks burning hotter as the silence stretched on. Somehow, her attempts to remedy the situation made it so much worse.
And here she thought she could help him forget about his worries.
"I always thought rich people liked to throw their money at useless things," Adam said coolly. His casual response released the weight pressing on her shoulders.
"Well, it's not like I haven't spent a lot on clothes." Weiss smiled shyly. She had a feeling he'd have quite a reaction at how much her personalized combat skirts cost. "I'm sure other elite kids had time to go on shopping sprees with friends, but I wasn't allowed to do that. Father would've killed me if I spent the day in a mall, let alone meet up with friends. I've networked with a few sons and daughters of Father's business partners, but it isn't the same."
Before enrolling into Beacon, the only person she ever considered a friend was him.
Weiss cleared her throat, not wanting to continue that line of thought any further.
"Anyway, if there's time, we could drop a couple thousand on a shopping spree tomorrow."
"First you want to waste time looking for a Scroll, and now this? I thought you said arriving at Mistral City quickly was important."
"We won't have to rush once I can contact Ruby again. Besides, it might be fun to act like a walking stereotype for a day. I bet there's a bunch of cute boutiques we can visit!"
She couldn't hide her smile when he burst out laughing at her suggestion. But what warmed her heart the most was seeing the last of that tension melt from his body. Somehow, in her clumsy attempt to cheer him up, it ended up better than she thought.
"You're overestimating that shithole," he said, with a grin still on his face. "The most luxurious thing you can buy is some watered-down wine. I'm afraid your delicate taste buds might get damaged from it too."
"I don't like wine all that much anyway. I'd much prefer to spoil myself with new clothes." She grinned.
"You would waste your money on useless skirts and dresses." He snorted.
"Hey, they're not useless. Combat skirts are made to be fashionable and functional."
"They're overpriced fabrics."
Weiss couldn't help but laugh at his remark. It was so ironic coming from a guy who fought in nice dress pants and what was likely a custom blazer.
"There's no need to be jealous, Adam. I can even grab you a new outfit while we're at it. I have more than enough for the two of us."
He was about to respond, but whatever he had to say fell on deaf ears. All at once, their easy back and forth came to a screeching halt.
A cold gust cut between them, agitating the flames crackling in their dying fire pit. Weiss ignored the disappointment sinking into her core and tended to the fire instead.
"I can take the first watch," she said without taking her eyes off the firepit.
"It's fine, Schnee. I'm not all that tired anyway." Adam spoke to her without a hint of playfulness in his voice. They were back to business as usual.
"You have a lot to do tomorrow compared to me. Get as much rest as you need," she insisted.
"It's not going to be easy for you either."
"I'll be in a much better position if you're well-rested and alert," Weiss assured him with a polite smile. "Go ahead and sleep."
Adam regarded her for a moment before laying on his back without another word. As usual, he kept his Grimm mask on despite calling it in for the night.
Weiss hugged her knees as she studied him. It was impossible to tell if he was sleeping or staring up at the stars. She suspected he was worried about tomorrow because of how nervous he had been moments earlier. She could hardly relax knowing who could be waiting for them in Azaleas.
"I know it's impossible to predict what will happen tomorrow, but it'll be okay," she breathed. "This entire journey has been crazy, but look at us now. Whatever happens, we'll figure it out together. You don't have to shoulder this mission alone. I'll do whatever I can to help you."
She waited for him to respond, but he remained silent. Perhaps she did overestimate how much it was all bothering him.
Weiss tilted her head back, admiring the beautiful veil of stars. For a moment, she let herself forget about the world.
"Thank you, Schnee."
Weiss jumped, snapping her gaze back on Adam. He had his back turned to her now. She was glad he couldn't catch the toothy grin his response left on her face. She stared at the sky again, feeling lighter than ever before since leaving Rumduol.
Short and sweet is the name of the game with this one. Good thing we have one more chapter left in this batch~ I'll see you guys again tomorrow!
Random fun fact: the original story ended with 20 chapters. I just remembered how short it was despite the word count lol.
Thank you to Yeet, LiteralWhiteTrash, Gleaming Onyx, a Guest reader, and Able and Table for the reviews!